Cream sediment tester



Nev. 8, 194-9 N. c. KOTTKAMP ETAL 2,487,248

CREAM SEDIMENT TESTER Filed June 12, 1948 DP) N Am m n Y o /w TA E. vJN N m lam W A PN# a Patented Nov. .8, 1949 UNITED STATES CREAM S'EDIMENT TESTER Application June 12, 1948, Serial No. 32,655

7- Claims. 1

This invention relates to-a sediment tester particularly adapted for determining the relative amount of foreignv sediment matter in cream. The procedure; insecuring a sample of sediment in; the cream is to. take a portion of the cream, a definite quantity, and then force that cream through a filter. medium and then. inspect the amount of sediment left on the filter medium as a. means for determining the quantity of sediment. appearing in the cream. It is extremely difiicult to force. cream particularly of high butterfat composition through the'usual cotton. filter disc. The practice has therefore: been to dilute the. definitequantity of cream with a definite quantity of hot or warm water so that the proportions; are known. in advance, and so that the combined volume: ofcream and water-will be sufii cie'ntly reduced in viscosity to permit that combih'edi quantity tohe fiorced' through: the cotton filter pad. or di'sc without unduepressure being required:

Reference is made: to: the- Long Patent: N01 2-;4001154; issued May 14, 1946:, and assigned to the assignee of the: present application? Also=f=i1rthen reference is made: to. the pending Lang application- Serial No.- 7429121, filed April I8 I947. Both; the: patent and. the application towhich reference. hasbeen. made embody a control head for use ommillnsediment testing devices;-

Al primary object of? the presentinvention is tor provide"- a structure simpl'ified in nature which will permit the: securing: of? a definite: quantity of water or other. suitable diluentto be" forced intoa vessel: in: a: measureiii amount, and then, there'- afiter3. to permitt a definite, measured amount of the: cream". t'oibe forced: into that same vessel to be intermixed: withzthe'r diluent; A still further important object: of thev invention is-to provide a structure: of; the. nature indicated wherein the parts coming: into contact with the cream" or the mixture Ofi creami with the diluent may be easily and quickly removed for cleaning operations. Ageing. a. further important object of the inventioniis to provide-a structure which-may be. quickly operated tosecure thesample of-cream and" the diluent mixed therewith, and to eject'the combination' quickly and easily so that the maximum number of'samples' may be checked within the short timegenerally'all'otted as cream maybe de- L livered to' thesta-tions' for. acceptance;

These andmany other objects and' advantages of. the invention. will become. apparent. to. those versedlih the art in the. following. description: of two particular formsof. thednvention as. now best known to us, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal diametrical section through a structureembodying the invention;

Fig". 2, a detail in transverse section of a lower float limiting device;

Fig. 3,. aview in side-elevation and partial section of a fragment of the length of the tube or vessel employed in the invention;

Fig. 4, a view in diametrical' vertical section through a modifiedform of structure-as compared to that shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5, a detail in transverse: section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Referringv to the drawing, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts, the vessel tobe considered is designated-by the numeral H3 and consists of an elongated tube, preferably made out of metal for durability. At the upper end of the tube In there is an air pressure-vacuum control head H The function of this head i I in addition to providing a handle l2 as a means for supporting the tube it and the other parts related thereto,. is to provide at will pressure or a partial vacuum within the passageway it leading downwardly from the head N. This head H does not .form a part of the present invention per'se, and' is fully described and claimed in the patent above indicated, and also in the pending application also above indicated, and hence no detail thereof is hereinshown.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3; the tube carries in the upper end thereof a float: I 41 which has an upper stem 45 directed into the path of a ball it in such manner that up'- on raising the iioat M" a sufficient distance, the ball [6 may be forcedagainst the end of the passageway" I7 leading downwardly from the larger passageway I3. All of that structure is likewise shown in the" patent and application above indicated. It is suflicient to say further that the float I4 is confined to the upper end of the tube I 0 by means of the cross bar it so that it can only drop that distance which will permit the ball IE to be dropped from the passageway ii to permit the pressurizing or extension of the vacuum within the tube- Ifli All of the structure so far described is shown and has been in use prior to the present invention, the showing being in the prior patent and prior application indicated.

Now in addition to that structureabove described, there is provided a second'fioat lilwhich has a lower guide'stem- 2ll=extending downwardly to-rest normally-"ona-bar 21- extending transverse 1y across the tube I to be fixed in position. That is the float l9 is normally positioned in a lowermost end of travel by reason of its stem 26 resting on the transverse bar 2 i. In order to center the float l9 within the tube Iii, there is provided a spider 22 at the under side of the float l5 fixed to the stem 28 and coming into sliding engagement with the innerside of the tube Iii whereby the float l9 may travel freely longitudinally of the tube It. Then in addition to the lower spider 22 there is an upper spider 23 fixed toward the upper end of a rod 24 which extends axially from the upper end of the float Hi. This spider 23 is also in sliding engagement with the inside face of the tube l0. Its function is to guide the rod 24 into abutment with the lower end of the stem 25 which projects downwardly from the under end of the float M.

In the present showing, the upper end of the rod 24 terminates at the plane 26 in which the lower end of the stem 25 terminates, in other words there is physical contact between the opposing ends of those two members. It may be however that a slight clearance can be employed between those two members without any difiiculby being imposed in the operation of the device. However, there does have to be a definite relationship between the longitudinal travel of the floats l9 and M in conjunction with the length and diameter of the tube It in order that the measurement of the fluids to be carried into the tube 10 may be quite definite in character.

At the lower end of the tube [0 there is fixed removable head 30 in the usual manner which is designed to carry thereover a filter disc 3! all in construction does not per se form a part of the present invention. It is necessary however to have the filter disc located in a definite position at the end of the tube It all in the usual and well known manner.

Toward the upper end of the tube l0 there is mounted a transverse shaft 32 which is guided through a nipple 33 fixed on the side of the tube and through a packing gland nut 34 which in the present form screw-threadedly enters the outer end of the nipple 33. As best indicated in Fig. 2. this transverse shaft 32 carries a disc 35 thereon which is urged against a seat 36 provided in the bore of the nipple 33. The disc 35 is urged into that sliding position against the seat 36 by means of the nut 34 compressively carrying packing 36 against the outer face of that disc 35. This provides also a seal against leakage both of air and of liquid through the nipple 33.

This shaft 32 enters the tube I 9 to extend therewithin a distance and to have on its inner end a finger 38 turned substantially at right angles to the axis of th shaft. This finger 38 is in the path of the central portion 39 of the top spider 23. The position of the shaft 32 longitudinally of the tube l0 and the length of the finger 38 are made to be such that when the shaft 32 is rotated, the finger 38 may be turned downwardly against the disc 38 of the spider 23 as a means of retaining the spider 23 in its initial, lowermost position, and accordingly retaining the float IS in its lowermost position. To facilitate the turning of the shaft 32, this shaft 32 is provided with an external handle 49 herein shown as consisting essentially of a bar mounted on the shaft 32 to be turned in the direction of the finger 38. In other words the position of the bar Ml will indicate the position of the finger 38 within the tube.

Now to operate the structure as shown in Figs. 1-3, the head II is properly manipulated so that a vacuum is produced within the passageway l3, and accordingly a vacuum is produced throughout the length of the tube IS. The head 35 is first immersed in a body of warm water or hot water so that a volume of this water may be forced into the tube It by reason of the vacuum therewithin. As this water is forced into the tube l0, it is forced past the filter pad 3i and up into the tube It a distance to cause the float I9 to float on that liquid and start traveling upwardly. In this regard, the shaft 32 is initially turned to those positions as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 where the finger 33 is substantially horizontally disposed. That is the finger 38 is turned in a direction to be parallel with the disc 39. Then as the float l9 starts to lift, the rod 2 will push upwardly on the stem 25 of the float M and thereby, in turn, lift the float Hi to cause its upper stem l5 to lift the ball check 16 and close off the passageway I! so that the pressure within the tub it becomes equalized as between the pressure exerted by the volume of water Within the tube 10 and the atmospheric pressure outside. As above indicated, the proportions of the tube It and the permissible upward travel of the floats are adjusted in a predetermined manner so that there is a definite volume of water carried into the tube l0.

After this fixed volume of water is forced into the tube Ill, the head 30 is then immersed in the cream which is to be checked for its sediment content. The head H is continued in the same condition so that a vacuum is tended to be produced in the passageway l3, and then the handle 4!) is revolved to the dash line position, Fig. 3, so that the finger 3B is turned to push downwardly on the disc 39, the disc 39 not having been brought up against the finger 38 when the volume of'water is pulled into the tube III. This turning of the handle 40 causes the finger 38 to push the float 19 back downwardly so that the float 14 which is far above the top level of the water may drop by gravity and thereby release the ball I6 from its initial closing position across the lower end of the passageway ll whereby the upper portion of the tube In above the volume of water is again subjected to the vacuum. Accordingly the water is pushed upwardly as the cream sample tends to enter through the head 30 and past the filter disc 3|. The fluid content continues to rise within the tube l 0 until its top portion reaches the float l4 and thereby carries the float I4 upwardly a distance to push the ball I6 across the passageway l'! and again shut off the withdrawal of air from the tube I3. When that is done, the filter disc 3| falls back to seat itself across the inner end of the head 30 all in the usual manner.

The head I I is then manipulated to have pressure applied to the passageway [3 to force air downwardly therethrough and cause the ball l6 to be removed from its closing position, and to allow the pressure to force the combined water and cream content out through the filter 3| and out through the end of the head 30, thereby causing all of the fluid content to pass through the filter disc 3!. Normally the water and. cream content are intermixed by rocking the tube [0 before the pressure is applied to force the fluid out of the tube. Thus it is to be seen that the lower float l3 controls the volume of water iniassumes .5 tially forced; into the tube Ill: while the upper floats M controls the: flow: of cream into: the tube I; both-floatsvery definitelycontrolling andlfixe ing thevolumes of the two fluids pulledi into the tube-l0.

For cleaning purposes, the shaft 32 may be removedby unscrewing the nut; 3H; and then: the head H together with its face or adapter 42 is unscrewed from the top end ofi' the tube to: so that the lower float l9 and its stem or'rod Z4 may be withdrawn or dropped out of the tube [0' by inverting'it; Then all ofthe-parts-may be cleaned as: usual and the fl'oat' I9 return'ed to the tube and-the-head H assembled thereonfor subsequent operations:

Referring to the modified form as illustrated primarily in Fig. 4, the upper structure remains the same asin the first form described; In this modified form; thefloat i=9 is allowed todrop on down to have its stem- ZWrest on thebar 45whi'ch is normally c'a-rried diametrically across the lower end of the tube lll'int-he'ferru1e'46 which is secured in the lower end of the tube- It; and to which ferrule the head" 3fiis detachably' secured. transverse bar- 45- is normally provided to limit the upward travel of the filter disc 31.

The float I 9 carries" the" stem 24- and also the lower spider 4! which is placed in thisca'seimmediately above the float I9. Thestem 24 carries the spider 23" onits upper end or adjacent the upper end thereof; In this modified form, the initial fluid forced. into, the tube II! will quickly start lifting the' float it so that the stem 24 is pushed upwardly to; eventually' strike the stem- 25 of the upper float M. The spacing: between the lower endof. thesteml 2,5 and the upper end of the stem 2'4 is made to be such that the exact amount of fluid will have been forced into the tube lll as has been predetermin'ed' as being-necessary by the timethefloat- I4: is lifted to'cut' off the passageway IT. The transverse shaft 32 is employed in exactly the same manner as in the first form, and operates to limit the upward travel of the float It by having the finger 38 turned downwardly to strike the central disc 39 of the spider 23. This limitation of the upward travel of the float I9 is made for the same purpose as above indicated to prevent the stem 24 from pushing the float l4 upwardly upon the second intake of fluid, that is the intake of the cream, until the level within the tube is sufficiently high to operate the float [4 independently of the float [9.

Thus it is to be seen that we have provided a very simple structure for the measurement of two distinct volumes of fluid within the same sampling tube, one volume to be measured consecutively after the other, all without involving any complicated mechanisms such as valve controls and the like. The only operating member required to be manipulated from the outside of the tube ID, that is, requiring manual operation, is the bar 40 which is turned into the two positions all as above described. Therefore, while we have described the invention in the two forms as now best known to us, it is obvious that mechanical changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we therefore do not desire to be limited to those precise forms beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a sediment tester, the combination with a vessel, means for selectively applying pressure to the vessel or to evacuate the vessel and create a; vacuum in: it" through a passageway. entering the top of' said vessel meanslf'orrsupponting: aifil ter disc at an ihtakerzoneiofz said: vessel;.and are upper float. actuating: a valve" member; to 61958703 said top entering passageway when: the float lifted a predetermined degree by fluid Wlthilhth'e vesselgot' ase'condi float carried: below said: upper float; a stem: on. said. float of a predetermined length. to pus-hsaid upper'float' to: itssaid: pas:- sageway closing positiona upon a predetemni'ned quantity of" fluid' beingforced: into said. vessel: past said? filter disc upcneva'cuation of! the. vesselgiand thus establishing: the: upper: limit of: level: of: that fluid in the vessel below: said upper float; and means for lowering said lower: float to? drop said upper float to: an:- open passageway position whereby further evacuation ot said-vessel: to'zforc'e in additional fluid, may cause; said fluid to rise within the vessel to lift said: upper flea-t to: close off said passageway and limit the total volume cf-"fluidi in: the'vessel.

2; In a sediment tester; the combinationlwit'h a vessel, means for selectively applying": ressure to vessel or'to evacuate the vessel and create a vacuum in itthrough a passageway entering the top of said vessel means for supporting a filter disc at-an' intake zone of: said vessel, and amupper' float actuating a valve member'tocl'ose offlsai'dt top entering passagewaywhen the float is lifted. predetermined degree by fluid within the vessel, of a second; float carried below: said uppen'float; a stern on said; float of a predetermined length to pushv said. upper: float to itsusai'd passageway closingxpnsitibniup oniaipredetermined quantity of. fluid beingrforce'd: into.- said vesselpast said filter disc: upon: evacuation of the vessel", and thus: establishing the upper limit of level of that! fluidi in: the vessel below said upper" float; and means for lowering said! lower float to: drop said upper float: to an open passageway position whereby further evacuation of said vessel to force in additional fluid, may cause said fluid to rise within the vessel to lift said upper float to close off said passageway and limit the total volume of fluid in the vessel; and means supporting both of said floats at lower limits of travel when said vessel has pressure applied thereto to blow out said fluid through said disc.

3. In a fluid sediment tester, the combination with a tube, a valve head on the tube having a passageway leading into the tube, an upper float within the tube, means interposed between said upper float and said passageway whereby the passageway may be closed off upon a predetermined upward travel of that float, of a second float in the tube; means interposed between said upper and said second floats to cause the second float to actuate the first float upon fluid lifting the second float a predetermined travel; and means selectively rendering said interposed means ineffective to permit fluid in the tube to actuate said upper float to effect said passageway closure independently of said second float.

d. In a fluid sediment tester, the combination with a tube, a valve head on the tube having a passageway leading into the tube, an upper float within the tube, means interposed between said upper float and said passageway whereby the passageway may be closed off upon a predetermined upward travel of that float, of a second float in the tube; means interposed between said upper and said second floats to cause the second float to actuate the first float upon fluid lifting the second float a predetermined travel; and means selectively renderin said interposed from the second float into the path of the upper 5. In a fluid sediment tester, the combination with a tube, a valve head on the tube having a passageway leading into the tube, an upper float within the tube, means interposed between said upper float and said passageway whereby the passageway may be closed 01f upon a predetermined upward travel of that float, of a second float in the tube; means interposed between said upper and said second floats to cause the second float to actuate the first float upon fluid lifting the second float a predetermined travel; and means selectively rendering said interposed means ineffective to permit fluid in the tube to actuate said upper float to effect said passageway closure independently of said second float; said means rendering said interposed means ineffective comprising a shaft entering said tube to have an end portion adjustably shiftable by the shaft to limit the upward travel of the second float.

6. In a fluid sediment tester, the combination with a tube, a valve head on the tube having a passageway leading into the tube, an upper float within the tube, means interposed between said upper float and said passageway whereby the passageway may be closed off upon a predetermined upward travel of that float, of a second float in the tube; means interposed between said upper and said second floats to cause the second float to actuate the first float upon fluid lifting the second float a predetermined travel; and means selectively rendering said interposed means ineffective to permit fluid in the tube to actuate said upper float to effect said passageway closure independently of said second float; said interposed means comprising a rod extending from the second float into the path of the upper float; a guide carried by said stem slidable along the tube wall; and said means rendering said interposed means ineflective comprising a shaft entering said tube to extend therein above said guide, and a finger on the shaft shiftable by the shaft into the path of said guide at an elevation holding said rod below its position to elevate said upper float.

'7. In a fluid sediment tester, the combination with a tube, a pressure-vacuum valve control head having a passageway leading from said head and entering the upper end of said tube, an upper float carried within said tube, passageway closing means operable by upward travel of the upper float, of a lower float freely carried within the tube; guides carried by the lower float .centering its travel longitudinally of the float,

said lower float being normally free to be lifted by fluid in the tube to in turn lift said upper float; and a lower float upper travel limit means comprising a shaft entering said tube, an inner memher on said shaft in the path of one of said guides shiftable by said shaft to one position to hold said second float at an elevation ineffective to operate the upper float, and shiftable to a sec ond position to permit said upper float operation by the second float.

NORMAN C. KOTTKAMP.

PAUL J. BAHIEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,298,627 Proudman et a1. Oct. 13, 1942 2,400,154 Lang May 14, 1946 

